Hong Kong journalists beaten in Beijing

Hong Kong, March 11, 2013--The Committee to Protect
Journalists condemns Friday's attack in Beijing on two Hong Kong journalists
outside the home of Liu Xia, the wife of jailed Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo.

A group of unidentified men beat TVB cameraman Tam Wing-man
and Now TV cameraman Wong Kim-fai as they were filming an activist's attempt to
visit Liu Xia, who is under house arrest at her apartment building, according
to local reports.
The attackers, who did not identify themselves, suddenly appeared from around a
corner, shouted at the group of journalists outside the building, and demanded
that they stop filming, local reports said.
One of the Hong Kong cameramen was punched in the face and pushed to the
ground, while the attackers attempted to confiscate the other's camera and hit
him in the head, reports said.

"China's new
leadership must send a message that they will not tolerate this criminal
behavior," said Bob Dietz, CPJ's Asia program coordinator. "Prosecuting thugs
who use violence to suppress the free flow of information would demonstrate the
government's commitment to the rule of law."

A spokesman for the Hong Kong government expressed serious
concern over the attack, and said the right to report on the mainland must be
respected, media reports said.

Liu Xia has been
under house arrest since her husband, Liu Xiaobo--who is serving an 11-year
prison sentence on subversion charges after calling for reforms--won the Nobel Peace
Prize in October 2010. China reacted to Liu Xiaobo's award by placing a media
blackout on domestic and foreign media coverage of the Norwegian Nobel Committee's announcement, as well as censoring coverage of the award ceremony.

For more data and analysis on China,
visit CPJ's Attacks on the Press.